does posting a story on Lit inhibit ability to sell it

[woodnymph_O]

Was wondering lately, if I post storys on Lit does that make them less likely to be sold in the future because the have been "previously published." Anyone know?

 

[oggbashan]

Depends on the publisher.

Most would expect you to remove the story from Literotica.

Other published authors can advise better than I can.

Og

 

[woodnymph_O]

Depends on the publisher.

Most would expect you to remove the story from Literotica.

Other published authors can advise better than I can.

Og

Thanks for the reply Og

 

[Alessia Brio]

Nope.

But, it'll usually say in a publisher's submission guidelines whether or not they expect virgin material.

 

[Weird Harold]

Was wondering lately, if I post storys on Lit does that make them less likely to be sold in the future because the have been "previously published." Anyone know?

As Og pointed out, it depends on the publisher.

However, that logically means that the possible publishers for your story are reduced to those who will accept stories previously published on the Internet. In that sense, it definitely does reduce the possibility of being published.

On the other hand, having an established fan base at Literotica can give you an edge in getting your new, unposted stories looked at by publishers.

I think posting stories here is pretty much a wash in getting published. You lose the publishers who won't accept previously published stories but you gain a resume and reputation to get you noticed by publishers.

 

[woodnymph_O]

As Og pointed out, it depends on the publisher.

However, that logically means that the possible publishers for your story are reduced to those who will accept stories previously published on the Internet. In that sense, it definitely does reduce the possibility of being published.

On the other hand, having an established fan base at Literotica can give you an edge in getting your new, unposted stories looked at by publishers.

I think posting stories here is pretty much a wash in getting published. You lose the publishers who won't accept previously published stories but you gain a resume and reputation to get you noticed by publishers.

This was kinda what I was thinking, I don't know if I should post all my stories ,or save some gems in my closet.

 

[Stella_Omega]

This was kinda what I was thinking, I don't know if I should post all my stories ,or save some gems in my closet.

I want to keep some things out of sight but I'm hungry for attention...
I think I'd always keep one or two freebies here. The problem is- I would never show the poorer stories, no matter what or where.

 

[kbate]

Anything I post on Lit or other sites will stay on Lit or whatever site I post it on.

I would never consider submitting material previously published online for paper publication, it would hurt sales and it could create problems with paperback rights, movie rights, etc. (of course I'm dreaming now)

 

[woodnymph_O]

I want to keep some things out of sight but I'm hungry for attention...
I think I'd always keep one or two freebies here. The problem is- I would never show the poorer stories, no matter what or where.

Thats me exactly , I hate my stories not being read. I mean one appreciative man in a bubble bath is wonderful , but i want it read 10 thousand times etc.
I'm just torn

 

[woodnymph_O]

Anything I post on Lit or other sites will stay on Lit or whatever site I post it on.

I would never consider submitting material previously published online for paper publication, it would hurt sales and it could create problems with paperback rights, movie rights, etc. (of course I'm dreaming now)

I'm dreaming with ya LOL

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

I was curious on this too. I guess I decided that I would publish here so that I have a track record and then trust that I could alway write something new for the print publishers. I don't know really how many stories you need unless you become a full-time author. I was thinking maybe I would get a story or two in an erotica anthology if I was really lucky. How many stories could I really need? There aren't that many anthologies of erotica. It would only become a big issue if I started authoring entire collections of my short stories for publication. And at that point, you probably already have an agent / editor who can advise you on these things. In my dreams, I thought that I would move to a full novel form after getting a few stories published.

As for the views on literotica versus paper publishing, I was wondering what the circulation of print erotica is. I see them in my Barnes and Noble, so they do get moved. But you aren't going to get rich publishing erotica stories. They aren't going to be bestsellers. So then it is up to you. Would you rather publish the story to 10,000 on literotica or publish in print for a few thousand (few hundred) dollars and an audience you may never hear from?

Hm. When I wrote that question I thought the answer was the greater readership, but I could handle a couple hundred dollars and a nice time at the day spa.

I don't know anything. I'm just thinking out loud.

 

[Boota]

My story on Lit is also in a print anthology that just came out. They didn't ask me to remove it. However, all the authors in the book donated the stories for free. As far as paying publishers, there are some who will take previously published work, but I haven't found many.

 

[cantdog]

Of course, it does inhibit it. But you can and will write new stuff, which you can put out to other markets any time you like.

I'm in the Coming Together thing, next volume, and when it looks as though that will come out, I'll remove that story, on the theory that it will hurt sales to leave it available free. Anthologies are Supposed to be previously published, in general, so that part would be moot even if we weren't publishing the thing ourselves.

If I were circulating a ms to print publishers, I would never put it up here.

 

[woodnymph_O]

Of course, it does inhibit it. But you can and will write new stuff, which you can put out to other markets any time you like.

I'm in the Coming Together thing, next volume, and when it looks as though that will come out, I'll remove that story, on the theory that it will hurt sales to leave it available free. Anthologies are Supposed to be previously published, in general, so that part would be moot even if we weren't publishing the thing ourselves.

If I were circulating a ms to print publishers, I would never put it up here.

I would like to try for a sale, so I have been holding back from popping it up first thing. Alot of what I have read says they would like stories never before published. It's just so excruciating holding back your work when it could be read.

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

I understand, woodnymph. If it helps calm your i-want-people-to-read-it-now excitement, send it around to friends. You can even send it to a group of people that you talk to a lot on literotica. Treat us like a writer's group. I don't think any publisher is ever going to object to 20 people reading a manuscript version of your story. Of course, 20 reads is different that 10,000, but it's a start.

 

[rgraham666]

Great. Once again my ability to not understand rules heads me down the wrong path.

Almost everything I've written is posted on Lit.

I can't write fast enough to produce more.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother to try, ya know?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

To date I've sold 4 novels that all appeared first on Literotica. I didn't volunteer the information that they'd been up here, and none of the publishers ever asked. In fact, an editor from a legitimate outfit first contacted me aftrer reading a novel here on Lit, and several other people have had the same experience.

Once they sign the contract, they have the rights for a specified number of years and they can tell you whether you can leave them up of not, but it makes sense to take them down. No one wants to pay for a book and then find out it was available for free on the web.

Some publishers encourage you to leave a chapter up on free sites as a teaser though, and that's what I've done here with a few of the books. Too bad Lit doesn't let you insert an ad saying where the rest of the story can be purchased, but you can always put a link in your sign line and hope for the best.

I'd leave your stories up until you sell one. I'd even submit the good ones to as many places and contests and publishers as you can while they're still up on Lit. Publishing here isn't the same as "published" as in "previously published."

 

[rgraham666]

Thanks, doc.

Now I've just got to work up enough nerve to try.

 

[impressive]

Great. Once again my ability to not understand rules heads me down the wrong path.

Almost everything I've written is posted on Lit.

I can't write fast enough to produce more.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother to try, ya know?

You're okay, Rob.

I went the full disclosure route. Told the publisher up front that all were posted on Lit. They signed me anyway.

As the publication date draws near, however, I've pulled 6 of the 8 stories in fine flickering hungers. The 2 I left up were monthly category nominees.

 

[rgraham666]

You're okay, Rob.

I went the full disclosure route. Told the publisher up front that all were posted on Lit. They signed me anyway.

As the publication date draws near, however, I've pulled 6 of the 8 stories in fine flickering hungers. The 2 I left up were monthly category nominees.

Thanks Imp. Good to know.

 

[CharleyH]

Depends on the publisher.

Most would expect you to remove the story from Literotica.

Other published authors can advise better than I can.

Og

Agree.

 

[mack_the_knife]

If a publisher ever approached me for material. I would offer new material to them and only point to Lit (and other hosting sites) as examples of my writing. The only time that might be clumsy would be if they wanted a specific story for some reason. I would then go ahead and sell it and pull it down from the hosting sites, but only for the duration of the contract (from what I gather most publishing contracts have an expiration date for exclusivisit).

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

Does anyone know if you can decline an award? I am not sure anymore if one of my stories will be up for a monthly award, but if it is, I was wondering if it is possible to decline? The reason I was wondering this is because receiving an award comes with a commitment to leave your story up for two years. I have no intention of removing the story, but I was thinking to add this story to a collection I was working on to submit to a print publisher. If they demanded I remove the story from Lit, I wanted to keep that option open to me.

Of course, this is all very likely moot because 1) my story has dropped three or four points which probably kicked it off any list other than being a monthly category nominee, not an overall winner; and 2) what print publisher is going to want a collection of stories and novellas about hetero first times, frightened bisexual women, and two men falling in love, all in the same anthology? None.

Despite that, does anyone know?

M-Y

 

[Guest]

There's also the idea that you can REVISE a work that has appeared on Lit -- that you've polished it up for this venue, but that you get comments and time goes by and you see places to do revisions, etc. Then, the story you offer for publication elsewhere is not the EXACT story, but an earlier version. This often happens in the print world, where a shorter story or an early version is later expanded or changed in a later publication.

And, of course, LIt is the perfect spot for things that can't be published.